>Feb. 17, 2011
An informational program on Marcellus shale natural gas drilling will be offered by Dr. Thomas W. Beauduy on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. in the Garrett College auditorium. Hydraulic fracturing will be addresses, as well as the amount of water required for it and the effect withdrawing the water will have on the available supply.
Beauduy is deputy executive director and counsel to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), a federal-interstate compact commission with water resource management responsibility for the Susquehanna River Basin. As part of his management responsibilities, he oversees government affairs, policy development, and the commission’s regulatory program. In that capacity, he has had a primary role in developing the program for the Marcellus industry.
“Hydraulic fracturing opens the dense shale to release the gas by pumping approximately 4 million gallons of fluid into the well under pressure,” noted a spokesperson. “That fluid is 99.5% water and 0.5% chemicals and sand. The chemicals are used to inhibit bacterial growth, increase the fracture size, and as lubrication along with other applications. The sand is a proppant that keep the fractures open, increasing the amount of gas extracted.”
Part of the lecture will include a presentation about the Maryland Department of the Environment’s water appropriation permitting process and requirements.
For more details on this and future lectures, persons may contact the program assistant, Mikal Zimmerman, at 301-334-6960 or mzimmer8@umd.edu.
University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin. Those with financial or disability needs that require special assistance for participation in any of the programs should contact the Garrett County Extension Office.
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